Forestry Commission opens up thousands of acres of woodland to the public
[12 August 2005]
A staggering 165,000 hectares of freehold forestry land in
England and Wales will be opened to the public on August 16 at Moreton Planation in Dorset. The Ramblers’ Association (RA) has
welcomed the gesture, which guarantees access to the public
forever and it is calling on other landowners to follow suit.
All landowners have an opportunity to dedicate land for
permanent access under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW)
Act 2000, a provision which will greatly extend the new rights
to mountain, moor, heath, down and common land which the Act
also provides.
Kate Conto, head of freedom to roam at the RA said: “We are
delighted that the Forestry Commission has made such a landmark
decision. Not only will it safeguard for permanent access public
enjoyment some of Britain’s most beautiful natural environment,
but we also hope that it will set a precedent for other major
landowners to do likewise.”
So far 4,899,553 hectares of rugged wilderness land – mountain,
moor, heath, down and common land - have been opened to the
public for exploration on foot, as part of the right to roam.
The next region to be opened will be the South West on August
28.